Psychologists call it the "framing effect": Presenting the same information in different ways can influence how people respond to identical scenarios. By allowing the Sept. 18 referendum question to be framed as "Should Scotland be an independent country?" the U.K. government may have unwittingly skewed the outcome -- in favor of a "yes" vote.

If I offer you a burger stuffed with 25 percent fat, there's a higher chance you'll opt for the chicken salad than if my menu promises a hamburger of 75 percent lean beef. Never mind that the burgers are indistinguishable; describing objects and situations in positive terms makes them more appealing than when negative words are used.

"There's lots of experimental research showing that a strong positivity bias exists," Andrew Colman, a psychology professor at the University of Leicester, said in response to e-mailed questions. "The `Better Together' campaign, or perhaps the U.K. government, made a mistake allowing the ballot question to be as it is. It is obviously easier to campaign for `Yes, we can' than `No, we can't.' If the U.K. government wanted to keep Scotland in the union, then the question should have been `Do you want Scotland to remain part of the United Kingdom?'"

David Fuller's view

I made the same point last Friday, in my lead item:

I am also concerned about the question that people in Scotland will be voting on: “Should Scotland be an independent country?” Being asked to provide a yes or no answer this question sounds like a challenge, at a time when Scotland already has a considerable amount of independence.  I think the question should have been: Should Scotland remain a member of the United Kingdom, yes or no?  This would have been less controversial.

I originally thought: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”, was a clever move by Alex Salmond.  Unfortunately not, as it was a potentially devastating blunder of by the UK Government, showing a lack of emotional intelligence.  Saying yes to a challenge of governance is generally more positive than saying no.  Also, Scotland already has a considerable amount of economic independence, which Westminster has agreed to increase.  Pulling out of the United Kingdom risks far more for Scotland than it gains, in my opinion.